Immortal Redneck Review

​Yeee Ra!
By Brett Wolfe
​Reviewed on Xbox One
​Released on February 27th, 2018 for Xbox One and PS4 (Also Available on PC)
Developer: ​​​Crema
Publisher: ​Crema Games

NOTE: This article was updated on 6/1/18 to reflect our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch Version

Waking up in a coffin would be weird enough and could cause some confusion. How did I get here? What happened to me? Why did it happen to me? These questions would rack anyone’s brain, but it couldn’t get any worse, right? Now, what would you think if you opened the door and found out you were mummified and just landed in ancient Egypt. What would go through your mind? Fear? Frustration? I think it is going to be the adventure of a lifetime!

Immortal Redneck is a rogue-lite first-person shooter developed and published by Crema Games. It tells the story of a redneck visiting Egypt who wakes up one morning covered in wraps and stepping out of a sarcophagus. Afraid and confused, the questions begin to pile up and the world of unknown surrounds him. With all this doom and gloom, he does what any sane person would do, grabs the nearest gun and some dynamite and sets out to find the answers he desires. Will he be met with great knowledge or become part of the ashes he’s creating?

The gameplay mechanics in this title presents a mixture of old-school controls and all-out randomness. You begin each run in a random room and your goals are to survive and make it to the next floor. Scour rooms for new weapons and perks while an onslaught of monsters charges towards you in a murderous rage, all leading up to the big baddy at the top of the pyramid. The fast-paced controls can present an issue when the rooms start filling up with obstacles and the creatures become tougher and tougher. One mistake can put you into a world of pain as you fall into a pit of lava or in the center of the incoming horde.

Possibilities are endless in Immortal Redneck with varying play styles that meet the expectations of even the most unique gamer. Whether you love to run and gun like our favorite redneck or love to be a bullet sponge, there is a character for you. The nine characters available present their own unique weapons and perks that give you the variety you need. I really enjoyed that the additional characters were really easy to obtain to give me a lot of options without having to sink hours upon hours in the hopes to get that one character. I was torn between the Redneck and Sekhmet as my favorite character. I loved the weapons that the Redneck had in his arsenal while Sekhmet’s healing ability helped me out in a pinch and increased the longevity of my successful playthroughs.

The skill tree is your best weapon when trying to combat the denizens of the pyramid and I really enjoy the layout presented in this title. Most of the permanent upgrades are what you would expect (more health, more damage, etc.), but outside of that is where it gets a bit more interesting. After buying a certain perk so many times, you are allowed to purchase the favor of a new character. Now we always have that friend that loves to hold on to as much in-game currency as possible and go on a huge spending spree. Immortal Redneck plays a mean trick on these players, by requiring you to sacrifice all the leftover currency in your pocket as you enter the pyramid for your next run. I really like this idea as it gets you to evaluate the possibilities at hand and pushes the idea to make a decision. You can eventually purchase all of the skills, so it doesn’t really matter, but it’s a cool system to keep you progressing and in theory do better upon each entry.

The visuals and soundtrack definitely leave a mark, but not a strong one. While I believe this game looks pretty awesome, the visuals didn’t leave me in awe in any way. Some of the rooms I visited seem to explode with color, while others just felt like a bland room that got sand between my toes. I was hoping to see more of these vibrant rooms, but I was just left with sifting through sand to find the holy grail of the floor. My thoughts on the sounds were very similar as I couldn’t find much other than a few silver linings. The soundtrack left no impact on me and the dialogue was water down to a slew of one-liners that the Redneck would expel in the good old Duke Nukem fashion. In addition, they do not change much even when you select one of the other characters. I understand the idea behind, those characters taking form in the Redneck, but I was expecting some differing dialogue, especially when the characters are differently crafted.

My experience with Immoral Redneck was overly positive with minor flaws throughout. Normally I am not a fan of old-school shooters, but the rogue-lite element promised with this title sparked my fancy and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. The game brought a lot to the table and mechanically shined so bright. The replayability is tremendous and I found myself going back time and time again, in the hopes of reaching the beloved boss room. This title is not perfect, and some shortcomings were present, but it did not take away from my enjoyment.

In the end, Immortal Redneck was a game modeled after the past but brought effortlessly into the present with amazing results. The game is priced at $20 USD, which I think is a drop in the bucket with the amount of gameplay you could potentially get out of it. I feel this game is great for hardcore enthusiasts and casual players alike. I would do yourself a favor and at least check this game out.

NINTENDO SWITCH NOTES:

After reading Brett’s initial review, I was intrigued about Immortal Redneck to say the least. With flashy visuals, a great structure, and an absurd concept, I was curious to see how the title played out. When I was offered the chance to revisit on Switch, I jumped at the opportunity. With not many first-person shooters available on the console, and personally none in my library, this was my first dabble with the genre on Switch. And it was a great one. Immortal Redneck controls pretty well on the hybrid, and although I am still not 100% used to the comfort levels of a shooter in handheld mode, it is something that players can get used to without a doubt. Conceptually, I think the game is a good fit for a portability mindset. It is not overwhelmingly deep as far as engaged involvement, but rather takes a simplified approach, with emphasis being on bettering your skills and having fun. The rouge-lite elements make replaying a must, with a diversely rich skill tree worthy of developing.
The game looks and runs well too. I thought the graphics fit the bill perfectly and love the designs in the various room structures. I did not catch any washed-out colors or texture issues during my time in handheld, which is always a good sign of things. With multiple enemies filling the rooms at any given moment, the game never slowed down from what I saw either, another positive sign of things. If you are looking to dive into the genre on Switch like I was, Immortal Redneck is a great option. If you are feeling up to the task, hop out of your sarcophagus and get groovin’!

*Note: A copy of this game was provided for the purpose of this review.​

Final Score: 9/10

+Almost Endless Possibilities

+Tons of Replayability

+Unique Skill Mechanics

+Tons of Weapons

​+Randomly Generated Landscapes

-Lackluster Dialogue

​-Most of the Rooms seem very similar
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